For one thing, this earthquake swarm — a flurry of small quakes without one large initiating quake — is not a new phenomenon. In 2017, Yellowstone experienced a similar swarm, and experts say this swarm could just be lingering seismic activity from last year. According to the National Parks Service, earthquake swarms in Yellowstone are “common”: the largest happened in 1985 when over 3,000 earthquakes shook the northwest side of the park over the span of three months. It didn’t trigger any volcanic explosions then, and it will not now, say scientists.

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If there is going to be an eruption, geologists will be able to tell well in advance. USGS scientists say the current flurry of quakes is not a warning of an impending eruption.

Since the park experiences earthquakes so frequently, the fact that this swarm has yielded so many small quakes should not be worrisome. Add to that the fact that they really are tiny quakes, and our fears should be put to rest. The largest earthquake in this swarm has only registered a magnitude of 2.9, making it a very weak earthquake. To put it simply, you might not feel a 2.9 earthquake if you’re standing where it happened. Additionally, the quakes have been dozens of miles below the Earth’s surface.

So, for anyone who’s worried that the Yellowstone supervolcano will end life as we know it, there’s no need to worry. But if you were hoping it would put a quick end to our misery, take comfort in the fact that there’s probably another existential threat right around the corner.

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